Wildlife fears for Preston Golf Course plan

A hedgehog campaigner is outraged after a plan for 12 homes in a wildlife corridor in Fulwood was given the green light by town planners.

Steve Whalley runs a rescue centre for hedgehogs from his home in Fulwood Hall Lane.

He says the development granted for unused land at Preston Golf Course which is on his road, will contribute to the extinction of the spiny mammals.

After the meeting at Preston Council on Thursday, he said: “I run a refuge from my home just rescuing hedgehogs. We have about 10 volunteers.

“There’s a brownfield site not a quarter of a mile away that has not been developed for 10 years but they want to develop this site. It’s an ideal situation for hedgehogs. The development will be a big nail in the coffin for them.

“We get hedgehogs in with broken legs – they are all being displaced. They are on the top 10 endangered list.”

The scheme for 12 detached houses was called in to be debated by Thursday’s planning committee after objections were raised by the Environment Agency and the city’s ecology unit.

During the meeting a representative from agent Cassidy and Ashton said: “We have engineered this eight-metre buffer which is to remain undeveloped to create a wildlife corridor.”